US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He shake hands in Beijing, China, on March 29. Both sides can expect to be in for the long haul as trade negotiations drag on. Photo: EPA-EFE

Opinion

Opinion

The View by Richard Harris

It’s clear that a US-China trade deal will not be quick, or easy

Hammering out one big trade treaty between two different systems is virtually impossible. The US and China are more likely to produce a series of treaties focusing on different aspects of trade — and this could take decades

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He shake hands in Beijing, China, on March 29. Both sides can expect to be in for the long haul as trade negotiations drag on. Photo: EPA-EFE